Classic Poem

Soul , what wisdom hast thou won,
Since thine earth-house was begun,
From loss of precious things,
And fair refurnishings?
Of all the guests that came and went,
Leaving their calm or discontent?
From crumblings of decay, —
New openings unto day?

Wouldst thou, soul, escape thy Past?
Life's foundation holds it fast.
The purity, the sin,
Alike are grounded in:
Therefrom doth lovely leafage spring;
Thence creepeth mould and tottering.
Whatso lies stifled there
Bring boldly to the air.

Soul, no Past can shelter thee:
Pleasant though its rooms may be,
Opening unto earth,
Filled with bloom and mirth,
To-day thou dost in vain return
To kindle fires that will not burn:
As vainly shut its doors,
Or veil its haunted floors.

Soul, thou hast arisen now
To the Present's sunnier glow:
Thy windows are flung wide
To light, on every side:
Beloved comrades gather here,
For work, and company, and cheer.
Look in or out, and own
How fair thy world has grown.

Sayest thou, Soul, " Here will I live;
Peace enjoy, and blessings give " ?
Tarriers of a day,
Dear guests will not stay:
Wild winter comes: thy vines are bare:
Storm-beaten walls need large repair:
Night curtains thy glad room;
Shrouds thee in lonely gloom.

Build up, Soul, a lofty stair;
Build a room in healthier air.
Here there is no rest:
Better climbs to best.
Thy friends shall be the eternal stars;
They greet thee through thy casement bars:
Thy homesick feet they lead
Where thou no house wilt need.

Learn thou, Soul of mine, past doubt,
Thou canst all things do without:
All that through thy Past
Winds and clings so fast:
Sweet pictures hidden with a sigh,
As far too perfect to put by;
And all the wealth of thought
Into thy Present wrought.

From that height, Soul, thou shalt see,
In thy sky-tower, pluming thee
For unfettered flight
Through the fields of light,
The beauty of thine earthly nest,
As never, while it gave thee rest:
Yea, in thyself shalt find
Joy that seemed left behind.